Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, said he will do his best to put an end to what he described as “modern-day slavery.”
He was speaking at a theatre production hosted by the Counter Trafficking Unit in commemoration of World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2025.
Aimed at raising national awareness of human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago, the Unit hosted a theatre production at Queen’s Hall on Wednesday entitled “Traffic in the Capital,” which depicted real-life scenarios of sexual exploitation and domestic servitude within Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister Alexander reminded that the scourge still exists within our country. He said leaving the nation’s women and children exposed to the dangers surrounding this crime is something we can no longer tolerate.
“”At the age of 12 you were home probably playing with your toys or your dolly and now you have someone out there 12 and 13 year olds performing sexual acts at the enjoyment level of some men. We cannot go on like this, smile every day, eat well, and at the end of the day, we have children outside who have never seen, who has never given an opportunity to be a child.”
Stressing that the fight against human trafficking is a collective effort, Deputy Director of the Counter Trafficking Unit, Dane Marie Marshall, called on everyone to do their part.
“To our colleagues across Ministries and agencies, we need your policy support and your operational cooperation. To our law enforcement partners, we need your vigilance and your courage. To the members of the judiciary, your judgment sends an important message to society. To civil society and NGOs, your grassroots works help victims become survivors.”
She also explained why the Unit decided to use theatre to commemorate the event.
“In a world oversaturated with data, reports, and policy briefs, theatre does something exceptional. It pierces through desensitisation. It moves the heart before it convinces the mind. In a society as culturally rich as ours, the art speaks a language that every Trinbagonian understands.”
World Day against Trafficking in Persons is an annual event globally observed on July 30th. The theme for 2025 is: Human Trafficking Is Organised Crime – End the Exploitation.